The Role of Place and Play in Young Children's Language and Literacy

Dominant assumptions about place misrepresent the experiences, perspectives, and identities of urban children, making their identities invisible to researchers, educators, and curriculum developers. The Role of Place and Play in Young Children's Language and Literacy sheds light on language and literacy learning in play-based early childhood settings, drawing on geographic contexts and giving voice to educational leaders in Indigenous professional learning contexts. Playce-based learning provides new and compelling ways to think about equity and educational opportunity in the language and literacy development of young children.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 282 pages
Publication date: 31 March 2022
Publisher: University of Toronto Press

Dominant assumptions about place often revolve around urban communities, yet a singular construction of urban places can inadvertently misrepresent the diverse experiences, perspectives, and identities of urban children. This invisibility of their identities hinders their recognition by researchers, educators, and curriculum developers, ultimately hindering their language and literacy learning. To address this issue, The Role of Place and Play in Young Children's Language and Literacy delves into the multifaceted aspects of language and literacy learning within play-based early childhood settings. By embracing a wide range of perspectives, the book sheds light on the significance of place in teaching and learning, particularly in geographic contexts such as northern rural and Indigenous communities. It also gives voice to educational leaders in Indigenous professional learning contexts, as well as speech-language pathologists, who contribute valuable insights into the field. Through an interdisciplinary collage of theory, research, and practice, this book collaborates with literacy and early childhood education researchers to explore innovative ways of thinking about equity and educational opportunity in young children's language and literacy development. By bringing play and place together, a concept coined as playce-based learning, the book offers new and compelling perspectives on how young children can construct their own identities in positive and meaningful ways. This book serves as a valuable resource for educators, researchers, and policymakers seeking to enhance the language and literacy outcomes of urban children and promote inclusive and equitable educational opportunities for all.

Weight: 400g
Dimension: 229 x 152 x 17 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781487529222